On Thu, 7 Apr 2005 15:06:59 +0100, Janet Baraclough
wrote:

The message
from MM contains these words:


If modern humans were transported briefly back to Victorian London,
their sojourn would indeed be brief as many would succumb straightaway
to the ordinary everyday noxious substances that hardy workers of the
day had got used to from birth.

Victorian Londoners' soujourn was also pitifully brief. IIRC, average
life expectancy was around 40. This was partly due to the extremely high
rate of death among children. It's ludicrous to suggest Victorian
Londoners enjoyed a higher standard of health or better survival rates.
You have only to look at poor countries' Victorian-London levels of
life-expectancy in adults and high infant death rate, to see that people
there have not acquired the hardiness you claim used to exist here.

It's true that the incidence of allergies, implying over-reacting
immune systems, has risen sharply in the last 50 years, but mistaken to
blame that on higher standards of hygeine by ultra- fussy parents.
It's just as likely that modern immune-systems are weakened by the
overload of chemicals, radiation etc we are exposed to in every aspect
of western life.

And anti-bacterial washing-up liquid. Well, those knives and forks
could harbour DANGEROUS GERMS!!!!

MM